above ground holding tank

[Stevesmith812]

I am thinking of becoming a seasonal camper at a park that uses 300 gallon above ground tanks slid under the RV. They will come a pump it out as required for $20.00 a pop. Has anybody done this before and if so how does it work??? Does there need to be some sort of alarm system in the exterior tank or do you just rely on the internal system.

Steve

[campincandice]

We have one at our seasonal - over the last 5 seasons we go 3-4 dumps per season. Never gone more than 4. We're there every weekend plus at least one full week. We do military showers and are careful, but not stingy!

[rhagfo]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
First thing that occurs to me is to wonder how fast that puppy will fill up. I've been involved in some sewer planning projects, and average water use in a residential setting is assumed to be 125 gallons per person per day! Most of which goes down the drain, of course.

I s'pose RV use might be a little lower than that, depending on appliances etc, but still- at $20.00 a pump it won't take long to make your sticks-n-bricks sewer bill look like chump change.

I think you'll find that RV use, particularly when not on full hookups, is considerable less than that. My wife and I can easily go a week before filling our 70 gallon total waste tank capacity without even trying hard, and without using public facilities for showers or anything else.

I was thinking that the O.P. would have a water hookup, too, at the site with the tank.

Folks tend to use more water when it keeps coming out of the tap!

Well call me Green also, I shower every day and DW and I can go a week on internal storage easy. Yes I has my hands during the day, use the RV for all restroom and showers, and washing dishes, Pots and Pans.

I will add that many of the coastal Oregon State parks, have limited or no full hookups, you learn to conserve.

[Bucky_Badger]

could you adapt this as an indicator? it has a female hose end on it.

Sorry, click links not working. copy and paste

http://www.barkermfg.com/bobber%20proof.pdf

[mustangglp]

When you design for a rv park you have people like me the only reason to stay would be to dump my tanks. Also some people can be very waste full so yo have allow for that.
I don't think someone is going to drive a big truck out to pump one tank for 20$ so the must do it on certain days?

[Dog_Folks]

korbe wrote:
We design from 100 to 150 GPD per RV for RVParks. It's not the conserve mode you design for, it's the average normal use.

We must be very different. Three adults, no washing machine, use 60 gallons of water every 4 days, without conservation. We do take "Navy" showers.

That works out to 15 GPD? That is 1/10th of what you state is "average normal."

I don't design waste systems so I may be missing something.

[Bucky_Badger]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

korbe wrote:
We design from 100 to 150 GPD per RV for RVParks. It's not the conserve mode you design for, it's the average normal use.

There ya go- that's a pump every two to three days. (The O.P. says it's a three hundred gallon tank, at $20.00 a pump). That's $200.00 a month if you conserve.

For comparison purposes, the typical monthly rate for sewer in Seattle, Washington is a little over fifty dollars a month. Link to rate page

He didn't say he's living there full time...

[vern751]

I am a seasonal and about half the campers in our park use them. We were allowed to dig a small pit to put them in, all sand in our park so this was easy to do, they cannot be buried the top must remain exposed. There is a float inside that trips a flag like on a fishing tip up when it is near full. I am on my third year of using mine, me and my handicapped brother, generally have it pumped 4 times a season, May-Oct.

[Old-Biscuit]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

korbe wrote:
We design from 100 to 150 GPD per RV for RVParks. It's not the conserve mode you design for, it's the average normal use.

There ya go- that's a pump every two to three days. (The O.P. says it's a three hundred gallon tank, at $20.00 a pump). That's $200.00 a month if you conserve.

For comparison purposes, the typical monthly rate for sewer in Seattle, Washington is a little over fifty dollars a month. Link to rate page

That GPD average use is predicated on 'holding tanks being dumped?

No average RVr is using 100-150 gpd.

[Francesca_Knowl]

korbe wrote:
We design from 100 to 150 GPD per RV for RVParks. It's not the conserve mode you design for, it's the average normal use.

There ya go- that's a pump every two to three days. (The O.P. says it's a three hundred gallon tank, at $20.00 a pump). That's $200.00 a month if you conserve.

For comparison purposes, the typical monthly rate for sewer in Seattle, Washington is a little over fifty dollars a month. Link to rate page

[korbe]

We design from 100 to 150 GPD per RV for RVParks. It's not the conserve mode you design for, it's the average normal use.

[Old-Biscuit]

Whether we are on hook ups or using tank we go a week before dumping.
50 gallons black & 78 gallons grey.
I do have to shuttle some grey over to black at day 5.


OP....
My problem(s) with a 'holding tank' is having it slid under my RV. I'm sure it will fit but not to thrilled with the idea of it venting under my rig and around the sitting area outside.
Bad enough when some CGs have neighbors sewer hookup right in your yard but venting is done with a 8'-10' stand pipe with elbow.

300 gallons should be roughly twice monthly pump out ie: $40/month

[Francesca_Knowl]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
First thing that occurs to me is to wonder how fast that puppy will fill up. I've been involved in some sewer planning projects, and average water use in a residential setting is assumed to be 125 gallons per person per day! Most of which goes down the drain, of course.

I s'pose RV use might be a little lower than that, depending on appliances etc, but still- at $20.00 a pump it won't take long to make your sticks-n-bricks sewer bill look like chump change.

I think you'll find that RV use, particularly when not on full hookups, is considerable less than that. My wife and I can easily go a week before filling our 70 gallon total waste tank capacity without even trying hard, and without using public facilities for showers or anything else.

I was thinking that the O.P. would have a water hookup, too, at the site with the tank.

Folks tend to use more water when it keeps coming out of the tap!

[Golden_HVAC]

I camped by myself for about 2 weeks on 100 gallons of fresh water. I did have a place to drain my 42 gallon grey tank, and the 59 gallon black tank never got full - even in a month.

Yes I think you can go a week or so - perhaps 2 weeks without dumping. I like the idea of dumping your tanks every time they are full, and you will get an idea of how many times it takes to fill the tank. Then call the guy to dump your 300 gallon tank, and dump the black tank and RV tank all at once, getting about 375 gallons all at once.

The charge is more for the labor to drive out there, than the actual cost per gallon to dump it. I think they even charge $20 per portable toilet serviced weekly.

You can also get thrifty with your water too. If you can recover some of your shower or dish water, you can dump it outside, and also save some in a used gallon container to use for flushing the toilet.

Fred.

[Dutch_12078]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
First thing that occurs to me is to wonder how fast that puppy will fill up. I've been involved in some sewer planning projects, and average water use in a residential setting is assumed to be 125 gallons per person per day! Most of which goes down the drain, of course.

I s'pose RV use might be a little lower than that, depending on appliances etc, but still- at $20.00 a pump it won't take long to make your sticks-n-bricks sewer bill look like chump change.

I think you'll find that RV use, particularly when not on full hookups, is considerable less than that. My wife and I can easily go a week before filling our 70 gallon total waste tank capacity without even trying hard, and without using public facilities for showers or anything else.